Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Lee Issa (left), conversing with Brian Stevenson (second right), managing director of the Issa Transport Group, his wife Gwynne and their son, Taff. - CONTRIBUTED
LONG BEFORE it became what it is today, there lived a genius of a man named Abe Issa, who not only understood the cachet of celebrity appeal, he mastered the art and made it the mainstay of his hotel business.
He first began the practice at his celebrated Myrtle Bank Hotel, on the city's then thriving waterfront, in downtown Kingston, and by the time he had decided on going out to the 'boondocks' in Tower Isle, St. Mary, for another hotel venture, had not only truly mastered the art, he'd become the consummate professional.
CELEBRITY APPEAL
It was this understanding of celebrity appeal that was to stand him in good stead and make a success of his new venture, at a time and in a place when many of his peers and or contemporaries thought him quite mad for venturing to open a hotel in the bushes of St. Mary.
This, in spite of its location on some pristine beaches and really not too far away from the more commercial, but then only a village of Ocho Rios, in neighbouring St. Ann.
That Abe Issa was a visionary, has never been questioned, the success of his vision, however, has surprised many would-be tourism expert who thought the all-inclusive concept would see tourists eating and drinking him out of land and money, and most certainly, drive him into bankruptcy.
Today, the all-inclusive concept is the mainstay of the Jamaican tourism industry and is rapidly being copied the world over.
FAMILY EXPERIENCE
So there is still a lot of humble pie for some to swallow as the Couples brand itself has expanded to include four resorts across the tourism belt and it continues to expand.
Anyway me daahlings, last Friday, January 20, was the 28th anniversary of Abe Issa's opening of his beloved Couples Hotel, over there in Tower Isle, St. Mary, and suffice it to say, that since its opening over 30 years ago, the resort has not only turned the tourism product into a total family experience as guests fall in love with resorts and staff and become multi-repeat patrons, some make it an annual trek.
The anniversary celebration, was in all probability, one of the greatest hotel reunions of all time as is the case each year, guests, family and friends descend on the resort from every corner of the globe for the party to renew friendships and catch up with staff while partying away.
Couples belongs to the ranks of tres elegant resorts and not by mere branding here, but by its fabulous style even more fabulous essence and most definitely its substance!
If you have never stayed at the fab flagship resort, Couples Ocho Rios, you should treat yourselves to a slice of the good life. And if you have never been a guest at a party, then trust this here scribe, you are missing out on one of the truly fab experiences of our lifetime!
And last Friday's do was a fabulous re-affirmation of that fact, and how!
Precious angels, it was a study in an experience of the flawlessly fabulous kind and nothing but!
The affair began with cocktails on the resorts' magnificent South East lawns, done fabulously to conjure up the imagery of a tropical rainforest enhanced by a just the right touch of magic, with suspended lanterns streaming from the giant banyan, cotton and almond trees that so eloquently drape the property's lawns and gardens. There were life-sized ice carvings that took on many a different colours (occasioned by strategically placed lighting), as the cocktail hour progressed. And then there were the food stations and libation bars - dearhearts, it was all that, and then some!
Dears, it was here that some of the leading citizenry of the parish of St. Mary, and a number of Kingston's leading socialites gathered under a shimmering night sky in sharing the company of the management and staff and many a repeat guests who had made the destination their experience for many, many years.
Well sweet things, champagne was the preferred cocktail and it flowed like an unending fountain of fabness, ably assisted by a battery of waiters and waitresses who kept the reception humming with their clinical but flavourful service.
Talk about laying it on! Honeys, this was it!
My darlings, for dinner the resorts' dining room was transformed into a kind of giant food bazaar, boasting many a mini stations, serving up giant sized portions of dishes drawn from a giant-sized menu, reflecting the various cultural backgrounds of the people of the world and for my word, what a spread!
Luvs, beginning with a fabulous offering from the Jamaican cuisine, there were stations transformed to reflect the ethnicity and or nature of the fare itself and spread all around the fab dining room, with dining relegated to the poolside, beach and pool decks, as well as the poolside promenade.
Sweet things, think the best of Italian, the very same of the Spanish, French, German, Indian, Japanese, Middle-Eastern and then add the very best of Jamaica, and the continentals such as lobsters, shrimps, marlin salmon, and king crab, and y'all know they were cooking in fine style!
No! Definitely no hamburgers on offer here, as indeed it was not that kind of a party. No siree, this was a celebration of the uncommon kind, punctuated and highlighted by the flawless sense of substance and style that is the hallmark of Couples Resorts!
Dears, on a any social Richter scale, this was a 10! On style and substance, doubly so, and then some! But what a night! Oh, what a celebration! Dears, not even the suggestion of showers in the night sky could have dampened the energy and verve of what was truly a fabulously wonderful do of the culinary and socially highest order!
Among those out celebrating were: Head of the Issa Couples clan, Lee Issa and his wife Jane Issa; his sisters, glamour mavens Susanne and Jackie Issa, Carole Issa-Cartade and hubby Robert Cartade, and youngest sibling Paul Issa and his tres elegant Spanish wife Oriente Issa.
Also out were: Custos of St. Mary The Hon. Bobby Pottinger; Mayor of St. Mayor Bobby Montague; socialite fashion belissima Beverly Junor-Levy; Charles Hanna; Anthony and Jeanne Watson; George Fatta; Onesto and Josie Maffessanti; Mark and Paula Kerr-Jarrett; Evan Peleg; Tom and Rose Tavares-Finson; Rafael and Robin Decomas; Charmaine ChinLoy; Robert Stephenson and his companion, the lovely and beautiful Melsah Riley, in from New York; Andrew and Trisha Todd; Mrs. Joyce Tweedie; David Hall and his betrothed Liz Sheehan; Gary Stephens; Brian and Gwynne Stephenson; Karen Rhone; Peter and Donnia Bovell; Dr. Linton Francis; Bobby Chandiram; Vanna Taylor; Ravi Daswani; the Ian Banks of Prospect; Andrew and Caroline Grant; Mr. and Mrs. Greg Wright; Dr. and Mrs. Issac Brown; the lovely Vivienne Reynolds; Gregory Burrowes; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Stewart; Daniel Melville; and Couples Group PR doyenne, the charmingly lovely Alex Ghisays; plus several scores more!
